ARKit developers are creating fantastic new apps for AR everyday, and now you can take a step into another world. I’m talking of course about AR portal apps available on the App Store. These apps read the environment around you, and then let you open a door to step into another world.

I’ve been tripping the rift for a while now, and these apps are the best to keep around on your phone!

The ARcade

We’ve all seen that scene from the second season of Stranger Things where it’s clear there’s a whole gruesome mirror world in the Upside Down. The ARcade takes you through a door into that world, only there are no Demodogs around the corner ready to pounce in this version.

This is a cute, brief, unofficial trip into something that heavily resembles the Stranger Things universe. It’s well worth your time, as long as you have a lot of space and are ok with the app not being optimized for the iPhone X.

AR Moon

It’s ok for things to be silly, you know? This app, for example, is an AR app with a great tour of the universe filled with lots of options and explanations. It’s a great app, and AR makes it so you can really dive in and have fun absorbing the information.

And then there’s this door.

This door is a portal to the Moon, only when you get there’s full of monsters and robots and all manner of silliness. It’s a fun thing to walk through and laugh at, and hardly the point of the app, so if this is your kind of thing make sure you have it in your library.

dARk

Where most of the “portal” apps are built for a little bit of whimsy, dARk is a full game with a fully creepy story and tons of exciting details. You step through a tear in the world to this other dimension, and hunt for clues to solve a big mystery. The whole time you’re wandering around, you’re guided by a friend who and has lots to say about you staying alive.

This is the most compelling AR game I’ve ever played, and if you dig things that lean towards the creepy side this game will have you busy for quite a while.

Alice in Wonderland AR Quest

The last great portal app to take a peek out is far more involved than any other app, and this one transports you to Wonderland. Provided of course that you follow the white rabbit of course. Alice in Wonderland AR Quest is a combination of a tap game in AR and a portal app to delightful results.

You need to fulfill a small quest and then the portal will be unlocked letting you enter Wonderland and take a look around. There are already three chapters, with more still to come. After all who wouldn’t want to visit Wonderland from the safety of AR?

Have you gone through a portal?

There are plenty more AR portal apps hiding in the app store, but these were the five that caught my eye. Did I mention your favorite, or is there another one that I’ve gotta check out? Be sure to let me know by dropping a comment below!